Bulk billing is a payment option provided under universal health insurance in Australia, using which any Australian citizen who has a membership to this facility can take advantage of the services of different health professionals who have registered themselves for the service.
The health services are limited to the amount for which a person has paid the membership and limited to the bulk billing services available at the professional. It is also possible that a professional or a health center provides only some services under the scheme, while keeping some services out of the scheme.
What is the bulk billing scheme?
Under bulk billing scheme, a patient who is covered needs to locate a bulk billing health professional or a bulk billing health center and just go there, fill some forms and take advantage of the required services without paying any money up front to the professional or the center.
The center, on its part will bill for all the services that the patient enjoys and accept the payment from the government. The billing is done on the government by the service provider via the medicare card of the patient.There isa percentage of payment that the professional or the center receives out of the total amount depending the kind of services provided. Some services allow higher percentage out of the total billing, while some services allow lower percentage.
The rebate of lower fee paid directly to the service provider or the rebate may be collected from the patient by the service provider and the patient can later claim the amount from medicare. Today, this facility has been made online to allow faster and easier claim disbursal.
Advantages of bulk billing:
Convenience:
One of the major advantages of bulk billing is the convenience to the people of Australia. Now, with the facility of bulk billing available, people need not worry about cash during medical emergencies like road accidents and other ailments. Without the facility of bulk billing and medicare card, people would have to arrange payments first for medical expenses and then go to professionals and medical centers.
Another great convenience is that with so many bulk billing centers coming up all around Australia, more and more medical professionals and centers are getting connected making it easy for people to access medical aid without the need of money up front.
Better medical facilities:
Bulk billing has allowed greater number and better-quality medical facilities to the public. Professionals and bulk medical centers are ensured of greater number of patients to serve because treatment for patients is free which translates into bigger volume of revenue for medical professionals.
This allows professionals and medical centers to invest more into their clinics and expand facilities which in turn provide better facilities to general public.
Proper treatment of patients
Bulk Bill Medical Clinic ensures best treatment to their patients because they are confident that they will receive full payment of their services from medicare. They also know that they do not have to fight with people regarding payment amount and prices because their prices are fixed with medicare and they will receive their money once all the formalities are completed.